NHTSA Complaint #762048 — 1993 FORD TAURUS

THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL WHENEVER I LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR, THEN SHIFTS BACK INTO GEAR HARD WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS APPLIED AGAIN. THE ONLY THING THAT SLOWS THE CAR IS TO USE THE BRAKES, IT DOES'NT DECCELERATE AT ALL JUST BY LETTING OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL (UNLESS GOING UPHILL). THIS IS ESPECIALLY PROBLEMATIC WHEN DRIVING DOWN STEEP HILLS, BECAUSE THE ENGINE WILL NOT HOLD THE CAR NO MATTER WHAT POSITION THE GEAR SELECTOR IS IN, IN FACT IT WILL ACTUALLY INCREASE IN SPEED. THE OPERATORS MANUAL RECOMENDS SHIFTING TO A LOWER GEAR WHEN TRAVELING DOWN A PARTICULARLY LONG OR STEEP INCLINE, BUT IN THIS CAR THAT PARTICULAR STRATEGY IS TOTALLY USELESS BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL IF THE ENGINE IS NOT PULLING. EVEN WHEN USING THE CRUISE CONTROL, IF THE CAR GOES DOWNHILL, THE CAR WILL JUST PICK UP SPEED BY GRAVITY AND THE TRANSMISSION THEN SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL. *AK